Help from our heARTS: Resources for coping with Corona Crisis fallout in Las Vegas

We will not wait to recover like we did in 2008.

EatMoreArtVegas.com was launched in part to learn from past mistakes. 9/11 and 2007 were different types of traumas, but the end result was the same. The Las Vegas cultural and production industries, primarily consisting of small businesses and independent contractors, are  often overlooked by recovery protections and fractured by economic distress. We began to build a network of partnership and communication to prevent this from happening again. Past tragedies pale in comparison to the Coronavirus Crisis for the Event, Arts, and Tourism industries here in Las Vegas where the economy is concerned. There is nowhere to travel and obtain more work until the situation is under control. But this time is different for another reason. This time we are here to answer the call to communicate and coordinate with your help.

Join our Eat More Art Vegas Corona Response Group to share and receive updated information about Public Announcements, Relief Programs, and Action Items.

We have written a letter on behalf of the community to Governor Sisolak and Mayor Goodman. We received over 5,000 signatures in less than 48 hours from locals who are worried. You can add your name to the list of signatures and request updates as we have them here.

We are working on setting up a Production, Event, and Tourism community meeting with staffers for elected officials. We will let the community know as soon as we have an update. This takes time as everyone is scrambling to cope with a fluid situation.

Find a local company, galleries, or artist who you want to stay in business and contact them to donate, volunteer, or help spread their posts in our DIG IN Directory.

Sign the petition on Change.org for a COVID-19 Federal Relief Package specifically for the Events Industry.

In the coming days, we will publish a page on our site specifically for Corona Crisis issues. Please subscribe to our site and watch our space for updates.

For the past 5 years, EatMoreArtVegas.com has been supported by members of the Conference Event Production industry. If you want Eat More Art Vegas to continue, please subscribe to our Patreon so that we can maintain operations as we weather the storm. We do a lot with very little, but we still need the basics to keep our essential work going.

Now, more than ever, it is critical that our #vegasculture community stay connected through our work as we are all feeling the immediate impact on our industry for an unknown duration of time. Thank you. #EatMoreArt

Urgent Appeal for Action to Protect Production Industry Families Hit By Corona Crisis

EMAV Review: 'Men On Boats' is a zany voyage at Vegas Theatre Company

★★☆☆☆ - Still Hungry

Vegas Theatre Company (formerly Cockroach Theatre) is staging a wild, zany, and all-over-the-place production of Jacklyn Backhaus’ comedy “Men on Boats.”

The play takes us on a reimagined 1869 exploration of the Colorado River by Major John Wesley Powell, and meticulously based on his journals. The twist is all the parts are portrayed by female or nonbinary actors as a matter of design by playwright Backhaus.

As directed by Allegra Libonati, this production is a muddy mash-up of theatre styles. At times it comes across as spoof, at times satire, and others farce. Still others, it strays into commedia del arte while the audience is sprayed with water bottles, invited up to dance, and actually asked to leave with one of the sojourners as if the audience should be in on the gag. With enormous talent on the stage, from Mathinee Washington and Valerie Carpenter-Bernstien to Kim Glover and Barbara King, there’s a whole lot of untapped ability. King has some especially lovely scenes writing in the journal.

The dialogue gets treated with so much emphasis on so many words that the meaning behind those words is lost. On the opening, the actors mime rowing, then by magic an actual oar appears, then a bit later there are two real oars. At times we get real food (sausage, biscuits), at times it’s fake food (fish, snake), at times the actors mime eating (bacon). There is one real apple then shared by the cast after the mimed ones are tossed away because they’re “mealy.”

At one point early on, an actor pushes small set pieces around, scraping against the floor and drawing focus from the scene on the opposite side of the stage. One of the final scenes, as an actor leaves the expedition, a good portion of the audience is treated to a full view of the Las Vegas street behind the theatre venue, leaving any sliver of suspension of disbelief behind. Though, admittedly, that suspension is shattered at the top of the show when a stage manager hollers “Places!” while in full view of the audience.

The set is gorgeous, filled with flats and movable pieces all in the beautiful hues of canyon walls. Swirls of water are painted on the floor and bring to mind the flow of the river. Asia Milburn’s costumes and Sydney May’s lighting are both well done.

As a history lesson of sorts (Lake Powell, anyone?) it’s an interesting excursion, but the production as a whole misses the boat.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturdays; 5:00 p.m. Sundays through March 15

Where: Art Square Theatre, 1025 S First St, #110

Tickets: $25 - $33 (www.theatre.vegas, 725- 222-9661)

Producer: Vegas Theatre Company; Artistic Director: Daz Weller; Director: Allegra Libonati; Scenic Design: Alexia Chen; Lighting Design: Sydney May; Sound Design: Rosalie Chaleunsouck; Cosume Design: Asia Milburn; Production Stage Manager: Nichole Killion

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